Chair coupling device

ABSTRACT

Multiple like chairs are coupled together in row alignment by an elongated locking bar mountable horizontally proximate the chair legs, the bar carrying holder means forming recesses opening lengthwise of the bar and at spaced locations therealong so that when the bar is shifted longitudinally the recesses closely receive the chair legs, and the bar being vertically supported by spaced hangers. Means also is provided for releasably retaining the bar against shifting from chair retaining position.

O Umted States Patent 51 3,640,569

Young 1 Feb. 8, 1972 [54] CHAIR COUPLING DEVICE FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS Inventor: Feramnn Y u g. 3 Auburn L 1,337,392 7/1962 France..297/248 Stem Madte, Cahf- 91024 439,312 9/1925 Germany... ..297/248 22Filed; June 16 1969 1,290,923 3/1962 France 1 ..297/248 383,467 11 193 GB 'tain ..297 4 21 Appl. No.: 833,311 I 2 mt l2 8 Primary Examiner-PaulR. Gilliam [52] U S CL ..297/248 Attorney-White & Haefliger [51] ..A47c15/00 [58] Field of Search 297/248; 108/64; 24/81 CC; 5 ABSTRACTMultiple like chairs are coupled together in row alignment by [56]Rem-em Cited an elongated locking bar mountable horizontally proximatethe chair legs, the bar carrying holder means forming recesses UNITEDSTATES PATENTS opening lengthwise of the bar and at spaced locations712,898 11/1902 Barney ..197/248 therealong so that when the bar isShifted longitudinally the 2,174,224 9/1939 Geller ...297/248 X recessesclosely receive the chair legs, and the bar being verti- 2,585,l l l2/1952 Grauer.... .....l08/64 X cally supported by spaced hangers. Meansalso is provided for 2,675,063 1954 Nordmafh 297/248 X releasablyretaining the bar against shifting from chair retain- 2,688,357 9/1954Towne ..297/248 i i i 2,750,990 6/1956 Eves 24/81 CC X 788,966 5/1905Upton ..3 12/218 X 4 Claims, 24 Drawing Figures PATENTEBFEB 8 I9723.640.569

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saw u or a .L/m/vozz H. Yaw/a f/wfw CHAIR COUPLING DEVICE BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION Need has existed for improved unitized means for retaininglike chairs in accurate row alignment and against lateral shifting, andparticularly such means adaptable generally to aligned retention ofassemblages of chairs that may vary in number.

Insofar as I am aware, prior expedients have been lacking in variousdesirable respects including more simple and low-cost coupling means,easy mountability to the chairs, and the capacity for chair retention infirmly held alignment while allowing for individual chair seat movementsas well as shiftability of coupled chair assemblages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention has for its general object toprovide an improved chair coupling device in the form of an elongatedbar which spans the legs of the coupled chairs and which so embraces thechair legs as to hold them against forward and rearward shifting of theindividual chairs while the bar is locked against longitudinalretractive shifting to maintain the chair retention in all respects.

The invention aims to achieve such association with the chair legs bythe provision of bar-carried retaining means which presents recesses forreception of adjacent pairs of the chair legs as a result of shiftingthe bar in one direction, there also being locking means associated withthe bar for preventing its retractive movement in an opposite direction.The bar also is given vertical support by suspension hangers, preferablyof a type that hook over the chair corresponding tie rods, thus toachieve simple and direct mountability of the bar in position and in acondition assuring positive confined alignment of the chairs.

All the various features and objects of the invention will be understoodmost readily by reference to the illustrative embodiment shown by theaccompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view showing in rearelevation typically a four chair series with the applied locking bar;

FIG. 2 is a view as seen from line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing an end chair inside elevation;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 also is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a showing in perspective of the bar-carried retaining finger,suspension hook and locking pin;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. I showing a variational form of theinvention in which duallocking bars are mounted to the lower chair legs;

FIG. 8 is an end elevation corresponding to FIG. 2 and is viewed fromline 8--8 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a combined view similar to FIG. 3 and taken on line 99 of FIG.8 to show the dual bar associations with the chair legs;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section on line 10-10 of FIG.7;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line ll-1l of FIG. 7;

FIG. 12 corresponds with FIG. 6 to show the variational bar-carriedparts applicable to the FIG. 7 modification;

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating a further variationalform of the invention;

FIG. I4 is an end view from line 14-- 14 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a section on line l5-I5 of FIG. 13;

FIGS. l6 and 17 are fragmentary enlarged sections respectivcly on linesI6-I6 and I7-I7 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 18 illustrates a modified form of bracket for mounting the lockingbar to the chair legs;

FIGS. 19 to 24 illustrate a further variational embodiment of theinvention and correspond respectively and serially to FIGS. 1 to 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In reference first to FIGS. 1to 6 the chairs C, variable in number and typically four, appear by FIG.1 in rear elevation and may have a usual folding chair construction bestillustrated by FIG. 2 and including a generally U-shaped frame 25including front legs 26, rear legs 27 hinged at 28, and seat 29 pivotedrespectively to the forward frame and rear legs at 30 and 31 for upwardswinging movement either for aisle clearance or to fold the chair, aspermitted by rear pivoting of the hinge by the pivots at 32. The chairstructure also includes an upper tie rod 33 and a pair of lower tie rods34 and 35.

The chairs are held together against lateral shifting by an elongatedlocking bar 36 which spans the chair legs and carries hooklike retainers37 and 38, which form recesses at 39 which open lengthwise of the bar toreceive the chair legs when the bar is shifted to the FIG. 3 position.Retainers 37 are elongated as illustrated to receive and retain adjacentchair legs 27 whereas the end retainers 38 are shallower since theyretain only single chair legs. As will be understood, the locking barand retainers are applicable to the chairs, initially placed inalignment, by engaging the bar against the chair legs from a position tothe FIG. 3 right, and then shifting the bar to the left and to itsillustrated retaining position. Retractive shifting of the bar isprevented by inserting the chain-carried locking pin 40 into the baropenings 41, the pin being engageable against one of the chair legs 27a,see FIG. 4, to positively block chair releasing movement of the bar.

The bar is shown to be supported vertically and in horizontal alignmentwith the chairs by hooks 42 which engage with and over the chair tierods 33, the hooks being applicable thereto as shown in FIG. 5 byinitially raising the bar and its retainers 37 and then dropping thehooks down onto the tie rod. Thus supported the locking bar assurespositive confinement of the chairs while allowing for such upwardtilting of the chair seat 29 as may be necessary for aisle clearance.

The FIG. 7 variational form of the invention differs from the describedembodiment in that a pair of locking bars 44 are applied and mounted tothe front and rear surfaces of the chair legs 26 and 27 as shown in FIG.8. As before, the bar-carried retainers 45 and 46 receive and hold thechair legs although here instead of using the suspension hooks theseretainers ride the upper surfaces of the lower chair tie rods 34 and 35,upward displacement of the bar being prevented by legs 47 engageableagainst the undersides of the tie rods. The same locking pin arrangementat 48 may be used to prevent longitudinal shifting of the bar from itsFIG. 9 and 10 position.

The FIG. 13 to FIG. 17 modification corresponds generally to the FIG. 1form except that here the locking bar 50 is supported by reception ofits chair-retaining fingers 51 within brackets or cleats 52 affixed tothe chair rear legs and present ing hooklike openings 53 into which thefingers may be dropped when rocked into the recesses from the elevatedbar and broken line position appearing in FIG. 17.

In reference to the modification of FIG. 18, the bracket 54 may carry akeeper 55 pivoted at 56 to swing in the direction of the arrow from arest position of engagement with the stop pin 57.

The FIGS. 19 to 24 modification is adaptable to folding chairs havingthickened wooden seats, the locking bar 58 generally being oriented incorrespondence with FIG. I but carrying the spaced upper and lowerfingers 59 and 60 which are engageable with seat 61 above and below itspivot 62, the upper finger being relatively shorter but sufficientlyextended to receive and embrace the leg 27, while the lower and longerfinger is extended beneath the seat 61.

In addition to the described structural and functional features. theunitized locking bar assemblies have the advantage of quick and easymountability to the chairs, with corresponding facility in removabilityand capacity when not in use to be accommodated in compact stackedarrangements.

1 claim:

1. A device for coupling together multiple like chairs having like legsaligned in a row and having horizontal tie rods, comprising a. anelongated locking bar adapted to be placed horizontally and proximatethe legs,

b. holder means carried by the bar forming recesses opening lengthwiseof the bar and at spaced locations therealong characterized in that whenthe bar is shifted longitudinally in one direction relative to thechairs the recesses closely receive said legs, said recesses formed byrigid, L- shaped retainer members integral with the bar, and extendingaway from the bar and then generally parallel thereto in said onedirection, certain of said members being of length so that the formedrecesses receive two adjacent chair legs.

0. a series of rodlike hangers rigidly carried by and projecting fromthe bar at locations therealong longitudinally spaced from said retainermembers and recesses and characterized in that the hangers hook overhorizontal tie rods on the chairs to suspend the locking bar inhorizontal position proximate said legs and to block upward tilting ofeach chair relative to other coupled together chairs, and

d. a locking part carried by the bar proximate a retainer member to beshifted into position for engagement with a chair leg to block reverseshifting of the bar in the opposite longitudinal direction relative tothe chairs when said recesses closely receive said legs. 2. The deviceof claim 1 including said chairs having said tie rods, the hangers beinglocated relative to the legs to continually suspend the bar during saidbar shifting.

3. A device coupling together multiple like chairs having like legsaligned in a row, comprising a an elongated locking bar placedhorizontally and proximate the legs,

b. holder means carried by the bar forming recesses opening lengthwiseof the bar and at spaced location therealong characterized in that whenthe bar is shifted longitudinally in one direction relative to thechairs the recesses closely receive said legs, said recesses formed byrigid, L- shaped retainer members integral with the bar, and extendingaway from the bar and then generally parallel thereto in said onedirection, certain of said members being of a length so that the formedrecesses receive two adjacent chair legs,

. and a series of cleats attached to the chair legs and downwardlyrecessed to receive terminals on the retainers to suspend the lockingbar in horizontal position proximate said legs and to block upwardtilting of each chair relative to other coupled togetherchairs,

d. a locking part carried by the bar proximate a retainer member to beshifted into position for engagement with a chair leg to block reverseshifting of the bar in the opposite longitudinal direction relative tothe chairs when said recesses closely receive said legs, and

. the chairs being hinged to fold, and the cleats projecting forwardlyfrom the rear legs of the chairs to which they are attached and atlocations to be free of interference with chair front legs during saidfolding.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said L-shaped members project closelyabove the chair seat, and there being additional members carried by thebar toproject closely below the chair

1. A device for coupling together multiple like chairs having like legsaligned in a row and having horizontal tie rods, comprising a. anelongated locking bar adapted to be placed horizontally and proximatethe legs, b. holder means carried by the bar forming recesses openinglengthwise of the bar and at spaced locations therealong characterizedin that when the bar is shifted longitudinally in one direction relativeto the chairs the recesses closely receive said legs, said recessesformed by rigid, L-shaped retainer members integral with the bar, andextending away from the bar and then generally parallel thereto in saidone direction, certain of said members being of length so that theformed recesses receive two adjacent chair legs, c. a series of rodlikehangers rigidly carried by and projecting from the bar at locationstherealong longitudinally spaced from said retainer members and recessesand characterized in that the hangers hook over horizontal tie rods onthe chairs to suspend the locking bar in horizontal position proximatesaid legs and to block upward tilting of each chair relative to othercoupled together chairs, and d. a locking part carried by the barproximate a retainer member to be shifted into position for engagementwith a chair leg to block reverse shifting of the bar in the oppositelongitudinal direction relative to the chairs when said recesses closelyreceive said legs.
 2. The device of claim 1 including said chairs havingsaid tie rods, the hangers being located relative to the legs tocontinually suspend the bar during said bar shifting.
 3. A devicecoupling together multiple like chairs having like legs aligned in arow, comprising a. an elongated locking bar placed horizontally andproximate the legs, b. holder means carried by the bar forming recessesopening lengthwise of the bar and at spaced location therealongcharacterized in that when the bar is shifted longitudinally in onedirection relative to the chairs the recesses closely receive said legs,said recesses formed by rigid, L-shaped retainer members integral withthe bar, and extending away from the bar and then generally parallelthereto in said one direction, certain of said members being of a lengthso that the formed recesses receive two adjacent chair legs, c. and aseries of cleats attached to the chair legs and downwardly recessed toreceive terminals on the retainers to suspend the locking bar inhorizontal position proximate said legs and to block upward tilting ofeach chair relative to other coupled together chairs, d. a locking partcarried by the bar proximate a retainer member to be shifted intoposition for engagement with a chair leg to block reverse shifting ofthe bar in the opposite longitudinal direction relative to the chairswhen said recesses closely receive said legs, and e. the chairs beinghinged to fold, and the cleats projecting forwardly from the rear lEgsof the chairs to which they are attached and at locations to be free ofinterference with chair front legs during said folding.
 4. The device ofclaim 1 wherein said L-shaped members project closely above the chairseat, and there being additional members carried by the bar to projectclosely below the chair seat.